Benita

We are booked on the October 5, departure for this cruise. We have the opposite itinerary and leave from Lisbon and end up in Madrid

We are booked on the Infiniti for a February 2019 sailing. It is a Smooth Jazz Cruise charter. Entertainment cruise production has chartered out the whole ship for about 4 or 5 different sailings for different music themed cruises. For 2017 and 2018, they used the Summit but it is moving to the Infiniti for 2019. If you like Jazz or Smooth Jazz, you may want to look into it. The Smooth Jazz sailings, on Feb2 and on Feb 23 are already about 75% full.

We are on the Seaside March 17, 2018 and I just looked at the invoice and final payment is not due until Jan.16,2018

I called HAL before our cruise and ordered two gallons of distilled water - it was a two week cruise- and they were sitting in our cabin when we arrived. They charged about $3 a gallon which you paid when you were ordering it.

I emailed Sarah last week as our ship gets into Barbados at 10am and all the tours we were interested in left by 9am. I asked if they could arrange a later departure for the four of us. No reply. First time, in all my years of travel, that I did not receive the courtesy of a response.

We have used ABC tours twice and loved it both times. The first time, we were the only people from a cruise ship - everybody else was at hotels. We were having such a good time that the driver offered to extend the tour, but we had to get back to the ship and he called another driver who took us back, allowing the others to keep on.

We sailed on the Davina last year and with the status match, had the Black status. We just booked the Seaside for 2018 and the Black Status continues. You need to sail every three years to keep it up.

We booked a Fantastica suite . For $200 more a person, we could have a small inside cabin in the YC. For $1000 more a person, we could have a cabin about the same size as our suite in the YC. That is almost double the price. We are not drinkers. In summary, we can sail in a suite for two weeks for about the same price as one week in the YC. A no brainer for us.

I just booked for a March 2018 cruise. All the Aurea aft balconies are gone, but there are several non aft ones available on deck 9. The balconies are much larger on this deck, but it is over the buffet. I would never take a cabin under the buffet, but have had ones over the dining rooms and did not hear a thing. I opted to take one of the Fantastica suites right next to the Aurea ones. It is the same size and the main difference is the use of a sundeck (we prefer to stay on our balcony) and the restriction to 12 included drinks per person instead of unlimited. As we are not drinkers, it did not seem worth the extra $1000 it would have cost for the cabin. I was toying with the idea of the YC, but the suites are smaller and for the extra $2000, we could go on a second week's cruise in a suite. Hope we are making the right choice.

We came back yesterday and I will echo this post.

We got off the ship yesterday, so it is fresh in my mind. The first night, there is one show, at 7:45. Every other night, the shows are at 8:30 for the early dinner seating and at 10:30 for those who have the late seating. Andre comes on first and tells some stories and the show starts about 10 minutes later and lasts about 45 minutes. As most of the passengers do not speak English, there are no comedians or anything that would involve commentaries. All singing and dancing, with some juggling and aerials. Very talented performers, but each night, except for the last, which is a Michael Jackson tribute was almost the same, with different costumes and songs.

We are trying the MSC Divina in August and will be on the Celebrity Equinox over Thansgiving. We have taken to going on the Smooth Jazz cruise everybJanuary, so have missed out on Oceania the last couple of years. Maybe next year.

That was a great cruise. I remember all the posting when the itinerary was decimated for routine maintenance and was very impressed when FDR changed it back. Lately, all our Oceania cruises have been in the Caribbean.

I can wave at you from my balcony. Are you going transatlantic?

We just embarked one of the world's shortest cruises- 3 nights on the Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas and right across from us is what just came back from one of the world's longest cruises- the Insignia.